German cardinal elected Pope Benedict XVI

Cardinal Ratzinger is the 265th pontiff of the Catholic Church Keystone

Cardinals have elected the conservative German prelate, Joseph Ratzinger, as the new leader of the world’s Catholic Church.

Ratzinger, who is 78 and a strict defender of Catholic orthodoxy, will be known as Benedict XVI.

Tens of thousands of faithful cheered and applauded a smiling Cardinal Ratzinger when he appeared on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday evening.

“I entrust myself to your prayers,” he told the crowds before delivering his first blessing to the city of Rome and the world.

Ratzinger was elected on only the second day of a closed-door meeting of 115 cardinals from 52 countries, including Switzerland.

There was ten minutes of confusion at the Vatican at around 6pm on Tuesday over the colour of the smoke, which initially seemed grey, before the bells began pealing to signal the successful election.

Controversial

Ratzinger’s choice was seen as a surprise by many experts who said the Vatican’s long-time doctrinal overseer was too divisive and too old to become pope.

Dean of the cardinals, Ratzinger had dominated the Vatican since the death of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, on April 2. He used a homily at a Mass before the conclave to issue a stern warning that godless modern trends must be rejected.

Born in Bavaria in 1927 Ratzinger was a leading theology professor before being appointed archbishop of Munich. In 1981 he was made head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the doctrinal watchdog at the Vatican.

In that office, Ratzinger disciplined Latin American “liberation” theologians, denounced homosexuality and gay marriage as well as radical feminism.

With a document restating the primacy of the Catholic Church against more inclusive views in Asia, Ratzinger shocked Anglican, Lutheran and other Protestant churches which had been in ecumenical dialogue with Rome for years.

Ratzinger was one of John Paul’s closest advisors before becoming the Church’s 265th pontiff.

Reaction

Political and religious leaders from around the world welcomed the election of Cardinal Ratzinger.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder said it was an honour for the whole country.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the UN and the Holy See shared a strong commitment to peace, social justice, human dignity and mutual respect among the world’s religions.

President Bush described Ratzinger as a man of great wisdom and knowledge.

In Switzerland, the bells of most Catholic churches rang out on Tuesday evening to welcome the new pontiff.

President Samuel Schmid congratulated Pope Benedict XVI on his election.

Joy and hope

The country’s Catholic bishops expressed their joy about the choice of the new pope.

“The bishops assure the successor to Apostle Peter of their loyalty,” a statement said.

Bishop Amédée Grab said Cardinal Ratzinger was aware of the challenges of his office and of the situation of the Catholic Church in Switzerland.

The bishops said they hoped that the new Pope would encourage more ecumenical cooperation between different religious faiths.

The statement was echoed by the country’s Protestant and Jewish communities.

Switzerland’s controversial Catholic theologian, Hans Küng, said he felt sorry for those who had hoped in vain for a more liberal and reform-minded pope.

But he said Cardinal Ratzinger deserved a chance. “We have to wait and see,” he said.

swissinfo with agencies

Key facts

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1927.
Ordained as a priest in 1951 he gained a doctorate in theology in 1957 and was archbishop of Munich before taking over as the Catholic Church’s chief ideologue at the Vatican in 1981.
Ratzinger who will take the name of Benedict XVI, is the Church’s 265th pontiff and the first German pope after Victor II (1055-57).